After
by Moonstone369
Summary: 25 years after the trio graduate from Hogwarts, Hermione a historical journalist for Quibbler magazine writes about what happened after the story ended. Detailing what happened after their lives became normal and how their paths seperated. She looks back


Introduction   
There were three of us. A trio. The Golden Trio. Me, Ron, and Harry. That was years ago, but I still recall it like it was yesterday, a horrible cliché I know. Now twenty five years after our time at Hogwarts my mind is restless. The things my two friends and I clinged to changed so much in the past years I feel ashamed that what has happened to us ruined our innocence so soon. the books and stories I loved so as a child disgust me now. I found that after the day when our lives changed, when Harry was gone, when our paths separated that when I got to the end of the book I was left with anger, wondering if this was really the end. what happened beyond the last page? Now so many years later the stories of the Heroic Harry Potter are heard all the time, but no one seems to want to know the ending of the story. No one shares my frustration, because no one knew harry like I did, fewer know him as anything other than "The Boy Who Lived"  
or "The Chosen One". No one wants the unhappy parts of the story,  
everyone wants a happy ending, but the one they have is not the ending to the story. The paths of the Golden Trio separated so long ago and I am a single mother and a widow. The Brilliant Hermione Granger, a journalist for Quibbler magazine. I'm a writer and that's one thing that never changed,  
one thing I never told my two best friends, the one part of me that is mine and is not part of a legend. I'm so disappointed in my society that I'm using this to tell the next part of the story they think is over.  
Despite the war and the death of Dumbledore, Hogwarts reopened and I convinced Harry to go back for our final year. We found that the Hogwarts we had once known was no more, the absence of Dumbledore made that even more apparent. Few students and staff returned, because they were dead or feared to leave their families. We graduated and the war continued on. Ron and I drifted apart and I realized to late that I was in love with a man that no longer lived in Harry Potter. The flicker in his eyes had been replaced with emptiness and grief. still, aside from the riff between Ron and I we still stood by his side as he hunted down every horcrux and with a final confrontation destroyed Voldemort as the world knows. The war ended and the aurors hunted down most of the remaining Death Eaters. This is the happy ending in all the bedtime stories of the next generation. this is not where it ended. Sometimes I wish it was because it only got worse from there. This is the next part of the story the part that's not a heroic fairytale. This is what happened after.

Hermione Jane Granger Historical Journalist Part one: After the End   
THUMP!  
"That's the last box.", Hermione put her wand into the folds of her robes and dusted off her hands.  
"Thank God.", said Ron.  
"What are you talking about,", Hermione giggled lightly, "you haven't lifted a finger.", Ron glared at her and fell onto the couch. he was immmeadiatly engulfed in a cloud of dust. He jumped up in a fit of coughing. Hermione laughed again.  
"This place is more filthy then when we cleaned it up the first time,  
she looked around the parlor of Grimmuald Place and shook her head. "Where's Harry"  
"Where he always is, in that drawing room staring at that tapestry,  
Hermione looked at him and sighed. She then headed up the stairs to the second landing and entered the drawing room. Harry stood in the middle of the room, dust foot prints leading to where he stood. His eyes were empty and unwavering as he stared at the plush red tapestry. Hermione walked silently and stood by him.  
"Done?", his voice was deep and emotionless and his eyes remained on the tapestry.  
"Yes, we just brought in the last box"  
"Good.", Hermione's face fell, she hadn't had a real conversation with him since before he had defeated Voldemort. She looked at him, his hair had grown and was more untamed then it ever had been. even though his hair covered it, his scar always burned with a vivid redness even now that Voldemort was gone. It stood a lifelong reminder that you can't get away from your past. he had grown into a lean man from the once unnatural lanky boy he had once been, but his face was sunken and expressionless. This person seemed to hit her all at once. This was not the Harry Potter from her childhood and how stupid she could be to not relize it sooner.

That was the night Harry moved into Grimmauld Place. It was a year after Voldemort fell and that's when our paths truly started to separate. Harry had never gotten over Ginny who had moved on while he fought the war for her. Ron and I broke up after that and I moved into a flat, because I was secretly in love with Harry. Ron and I started our "normal" lives while Harry seldom left Grimmuald Place. Ron took the Burrow when his mum died and I got a job as a historian at the ministry and Ron went to Auror school. I visited Harry every week for a year, but Ron's visits grew fewer and fewer.

Hermione walked past the mounted house elf heads at the end of which Kreachers head was mounted. She entered the parlor and headed up the stairs to the room that had once been Sirius'. She knocked and was surprised when instead of the usual "Come in.", the door swung open. Harry stood there, but he was grinning, which almost knocked Hermione off her feet.  
"Hermione!", he exclaimed. Hermione stood with her mouth open. He took her hand and led her down the stairs, "Come.", at least he was still a man of few words. He led her out the back door and onto the backlawn. A blanket lay under the clear star sprinkled sky. Harry laid down on the blanket and Hermione lay him back. After an hour of silence Hermione relaxed with her buzzing thoughts and stared at the glittering sky, it reminded her of the Great Hall at Hogwarts.  
"I'm sorry Hermione.", said Harry with a resigned expression. Hermione looked at him with confusion.  
"Whatever for?", he closed his eyes and exhaled.  
"For ruining your life.", Hermione wrinkled her face in surprise.  
"You didn't ruin my life Harry, you gave me one. Being locked in the lavatory with a troll was the best thing that ever happened to me.", he smiled slightly.  
"It's just that those memories don't even feel like mine anymore"  
"Well then I'm the one who should be sorry, Harry, because those were best years of our lives"  
"Being attacked by trolls and freeing convicts are not usually memories one recalls fondly.", Hermione laughed.  
"We were a big exception, nothing about our lives were ever normal,  
not a dull moment"  
"I miss it.", Harry said sitting up.  
"What?", and Hermione sat up too and looked at him. they were face to face now.  
"The adrenaline.", he breathed with their face millimeters apart, "It feel like my heart's been asleep for years.", Hermione looked through his round frames and swore she saw that flicker if only for a second.  
"maybe it has"  
"Maybe.", and he kissed her.

I can't explain that kiss to anyone who hasn't felt the same because you wouldn't understand. That was the most passionate, yet most gentle and understanding kiss I have ever experienced. It told me that he knew I loved him and that he would love me too, but he wasn't able to love any longer. Years from then I also realized it was a goodbye. I woke up the next morning alone on that blanket and somehow I knew he was gone. A single cloak his broom, his invisibility cloak, and the broomstick servicing manual from the kit I gave him when we were 13 was all he took. I never forgave him for not saying goodbye, even though he tried to say it with that kiss,  
that was one thing Harry could never do. It was his own form of cowardice,  
the only thing that reminded him he was human.  
I paid and old house elf friend, Dobby to keep up the house. I packed up my things, quit my job, said goodbye to Ron, and moved to the states. New York City is a cold city hidden behind the sparkling lights. I found a small flat and a job as a columnist for a wizarding newspaper and tried to forget Harry.  
Part Two: America   
Hermione sat at he desk finishing a column on the politics of Rufus Scrimgeour and how he was indirectly responsible for the end of the "second Dark War", as it is called. Hermione smiled inside herself, she wrote what they told her to not the truth. Unfortunately truth didn't sign her paycheck. A knock came from her door and recognition system announced him as, "Damian Carter, Owl Daily News photographer and art design." Hermione jumped up and opened the door with a smile.  
"You have the photographs?", Damian smiled at her.  
"Right here.", he pulled an envelope out of his robes. Hermione grabbed them and opened the envelope.  
"Don't tell anyone I do favors for you, you'll get me fired sweetheart"  
"Not if you haven't been already. It's no secret we're dating and have been for like a year. It doesn't seem to bother Marian.", Hermione stared at the moving photos of her childhood school. the castle, the grounds, even Hagrid's hut.  
"What did you want them for"  
"Old memory's sake, I'm afraid the one's in my head have grown blurry.", Damian looked astonished.  
"You went to Hogwarts, I thought that place has been closed for years.", He was trying to dig into her past the past she was trying to bury.  
"I graduated the year before it closed.", Hermione averted her eyes from Damian and put the pictures back in the yellow envelope.  
"Then you must have gone to school with Har"  
"Yes, I knew him, but that was years ago and he's someone I'd rather not remember.", she cut him off and he seemed disappointed.  
"I'm sorry, I covered a story a while back when I was still writing"  
"The last time I saw him was 8 years ago.", Damian took her shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile.  
"I'm picking you up Friday night, wear something nice.", Hermione smiled and Damian kissed her sweetly. He exited her office and she followed him.  
"Those pictures better be on my desk tomorrow morning Carter or I'll pull you off the job.", she winked at him.  
"Whatever you say boss.", the woman at the desk rolled her eyes and went back to fileing papers.

Damian was one of the best and the worst things that ever happened to me. That Friday he asked me to marry him. I accepted gladly and we married 2 months later. Amoret was born within the year. I was promoted several times and Damian quit the job at the paper and started writing again. This was the life I thought I'd never have. I definitely would have never had this life with Harry. I didn't love Damian the way I did Harry but he provided everything I needed security, compassion, a family. It was to secure though and it gave me an uneasy feeling. And like I knew it would,  
everything changed far too soon.

"Come here Ami.", a stubborn two year old sat on the top of a bookcase with Hermione's wand.  
"No.", she said with a grin.  
"Come down her right this instant young lady.", the toddler had bushy brown hair, Damian's bright blue eyes, and her nose was sprinkled with freckles. She giggled.  
"Amoret Jane Carter, you wait until your father gets home.", the child released a babble of words, a stream of blue and white sparks flew from the end of the wand making a vase of flowers explode. Hermione sighed with frustration and the door bell resounded through the house. Hermione shook her finger at her daughter. "That would be him. You better get down here if you want supper.", Hermione went to the door of her cozy city apartment. Men with glum expressions and dressed in black work robes stood there. She caught the gleam of their embellished gold ministry badges and slammed the door in their faces.  
"Mrs. Carter?", came a deep voice from the other side of the door,  
"Mrs. Carter, we're from the United States of America Ministry of Magic,  
we need to speak with you"  
"Sorry gentlemen, I know why you're here. I don't feel like re-hashing the past and opening up old wounds. You want to know about the Boy Who Lived, go talk to Ronald Weasley and tell him I sent you"  
"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Mrs. Carter we're not here for a war story.", Hermione opened the door with a confused look. "I'm sorry to disturb your evening Mrs., but I'm deeply saddened to tell you that you're husband, Damian Carter, was killed in a public Death Eater attack earlier today.", Hermione stared at the men in shock. She knew something like this would happen. tears began to well up in her eyes and flow over the edge. Ami had entered the room with her mother's wand. She ran to her mother and rapped her small arms around Hermione's leg.  
"I'm sorry mummy, please don't cry. I won't do it again, ever"  
"Your duty is done gentlemen.", the men left while Ami stared up at her mother. Tears escaped Ami's eyes and Hermione looked at her without a word.  
"Wwhat's wrong mummy?", Hermione bent down and wiped the tears from her daughter's eyes.  
"Everything has changed sweetheart, everything's changed"

After Damian died I realized there was no security in the world anywhere. I got Damian's body back to bury, but not an explansion. Rumors flew that the famous Harry Potter had been killed in the same attack that took my husband. All details related to the ongoing investigation were confidential. No one seemed to know what happened. I didn't need closure though, I needed a new chapter in my life to begin. So I took Ami with me back to Europe.  
Part Three: Reunions   
"Ami can you go get the owl post for me?", Hermione said as she bit into a bagel.  
"Sure mum.", an eleven year old girl with long brown kinky hair stood up and headed to the fromt door of number 12 Grimmauld Place. She picked up the pile of post on the doorstep. She put the newspaper under her arm and looked at the mail. there were two letters. She walked into the kitchen as she looked at the first one addressed to her.

Ms. A. Carter smallest bedroom on the second landing 12 Grimmauld Place London England Hermione looked up from her magazine and her eyes grew big.  
"It can't be.", she gasped. Ami looked at her with a quizical expression.  
"What? This? There's one for you too mum.", Hermione jumped up from her seat.  
"What?", Hermione grabbed the letters from her hand and opened hers first.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Mrs. Hermione Granger Carter,  
Hermione you were one of my favorite pupils, so I would like to make this letter a bit more personal. I am pleased to inform you that Hogwarts' doors will reopen once again to students this year on September 1. In order to celebrate Hogwarts is holding a reunion for former students and staff. you are with the greatest respect invited to attend. I hope to see you. It will be held July 31 at 8:00 p.m. I'm looking forward to talking to you again as well as meeting your daughter. you are welcome to bring any guest you like including Amoret.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonnagal Headmistress Hermione stood for a moment in utter disbelief before handing her daughter back her letter. Ami looked at the letter with hesitance.  
"What is it"  
"Your acceptance letter to Hogwarts.", said Hermione not sure whether to smile or tell her she couldn't go.  
"You mean the Hogarts, where you went? I thought you said they were closed.", Hermione heard the excitement in her daughter's voice and knew she had to let her go.  
"They were. The're reopening this year"  
"Really! Then I'm going to go to school where you did?", Hermione smiled weakily.  
"If that's what you want"  
"Of course it is"  
"Well open your letter and read it to me.", Ami ripped opent he envelope and pulled out a peice of parchment.  
"Dear Ms. Amoret Carter, Bluhch! They used my first name. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your reply by no later then July 31. Sincerely, signed Remus J. Lupin, Deputy Headmaster. Post script,  
please tell your mother I hope she comes to the reunion.", Ami looked up at her mother, "Reunion"  
"They're holding a reunion for former students. That's what the letter was about. Would you like to come with me?", Hermione had decided she had no choice, she had to go and Ami mind as well come with her.  
"Yes, please.", Hermione sighed.  
"Well give me your list and I'll get a few of your things while I'm in London and we'll get your robes fitted after the reunion. Okay?", Ami smiled and handed her mother the second peice of parchment from her letter. "Thanks. Behave whilst I'm gone and don't go in the drawing room the doxies are back and I need more poison"  
"Okay mum, goodbye.", she kissed her mother on the cheek and Hermione disapparated.  
She reappeared on Diagon Alley and headed down the cobblestone street of mingling people. She was just about to turn into Flourish and Blotts when she passed a joke shop that brought back a ton of memories. She seemed compelled to enter it. The store was as busy as it had been when it first opened. She made her way through isles of pranks and giggling children to the front desk. A woman stood ther leafing through a catalog. Her stomach was swollen with a pregnancy and her name tag read Angelina. Hermione smiled inside herself.  
"Angelina Jhonson?", she looked up at Hermione and her eyes grew the size of tennis balls.  
"Hermione Granger? Is that you"  
"Well it's Carter now, but yes"  
"Carter?You're married?", Hermione smiled.  
"I was. He's dead now.", Hermine's face dropped and Angelina seemed uncomfortable, "So Fred or George?", Hermione asked and she laughed,  
Angelina blushed.  
"Fred.", she answered. As she said this Fred came out of the back room, rapped hes arm around heis wife, and kissed her on the cheek. Angelina smiled. "Fred, look who has paid us a visit.", He turned towards Hermione, his mouth fell open and he tripped on a fake wand-rubber chiken and fell flat on his back with a crash. Angelina and Hermione laughed. He jumped back up and stared at Hermione as if to make sure he hadn't hit his head too hard.  
"Hermione Granger. My, my.", He turned toward the back room and shouted, "George, get in here, you're never going to beleive this.", George came through the back door.  
"What is it Fre . . . Hermione! I haven't seen you in over 15 years,  
Hermione smiled weakily.  
"Well things changed. Harry left, probably dead now, I moved away,  
got married. I lost touch with the old crowd"  
"Oh, so we're the old crowd now? I see how it is.", George smiled at her. "You're in town for the reunion then"  
"Yes, but I've lived her for 9 years, I moved back with my daughter after my husband was killed.", Fred and George's smiles disappeared.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know"  
"It's quite alright. So have you talked to Ron, do you know if he's going?", The twins laughed.  
"He's been asking the same thing about you since yesterday.", said Fred. Hermione blushed and. "He's going. Him and Roxanne are working on their fifth kid now, and he's working, but he's managed to get off work to go.", Hermione wanted to inquire more, but she was interupted by a group of boys with some big purchases.  
"Well, bye Hermione, we'll you see you on Saturday and we'll be sure to tell Ron you're coming"  
"Oh, don't, I want to surprise him.", Fred and George smiled and made a motion as to zip their mouths shut. "Thanks, bye Fred, George, Angelina,  
and she exited the shop with the tinkle of the door.  
Hermione entered the bookshop and took in the familiar scent of ink and paper. She walked about the shop collecting the books on her daughter's list. She then proceeded to buy them and was about to leave when a sinister voice stopped her in her tracks.  
"Well, well, well . . . I never thought I'd see you again mudblood,  
Hermione turned and snickered.  
"I can't say the same, I knew I wouldn't be as fortunate in my life, as not to run into you again Malfoy.", he smiled malicously.  
"I thought you ran off with Potter on his Death Eater crusades,  
Hermione didn't know what he ws talking about, but she wasn't going to let him know that.  
"No, sorry I haven't seen Harry in almost 17 years. I've been back for 9 writing for the Quibbler.", he laughed sardonically.  
"Weasley is having litters of children, Potter has dissapeared, and the perfect, genius Hermione Granger is working for Loony Lovegood. My, how the mighty have fallen.", Hermione narrowed her eyes.  
"Not fallen, just gone our seperate ways.", Draco smirked.  
"Sorry, my mistake. Well I suspect the reunion will be just lide old times.", He smiled as if he knew something she didn't and turned to leave. "I'll see you mudblood.", and he left the bookshop.

I had lived in London in quiet siclusion for 9 years. On the chance that I would meet an old classmate I would walk the other way as fast as possible. I did in fact work for Luna who owned and edited the Quibbler, but she was the only one I had associated with in years. When she heard I was back in town she tracked me down and I wasn't in the position to refuse her job offer.  
Ami knew all the stories of the 'Boy Who Lived', but none of the stories of the true Harry Potter. I had told her about Hogwarts, but I tried hard to leave Harry out, she didn't know how close we had really been. That confrontation with Fred and George had been a way of preparing myself for the reunion. The encounter with Malfoy had not been on purpose, but I had been looking forward to meeting him again. As Harry had put it, I missed the adrenaline. I missed the rivalry and sometimes even the conflict. When Voldemort was defeated Draco had pulled the same thing his father did. He payed off the Wizengoment, made some donations, and put some of his Death Eater pals back in Azkaban. I understood now what Harry had been faced with after Voldermort was gone. Because what is a hero without a villian? What is a book without an antagonist? He had given up everything,  
even his ability to love to defeat Voldemort. And once he was gone he no longer had purpose or meaning , or even the capability to be close to his loved ones. I understood this now, buy I still never forgave him. Now I just didn't know why, because he ran away, or because he didn't take me with him.  
Part Four: Encounters   
Knock. Knock. Knock.  
"Ami, hurry we'll be late dear.", Hermione stood outside the second floor bathroom.  
"Oh, mum it's hopeless. My hair won't stay. Uhh! This isn't working,  
Hermione smiled and opened the door and looked at her daughter who was furiously trying to brush through her long brown hair. Hermione laughed and walked over to her daughter.  
"Ami, sweetheart, let me see what I can do.", she took the hair brush and pulled out her wand. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion.  
"What's that?", asked Ami.  
"Hair Potion. It will make your hair eassier to comb through. I used it on my hair at the Yule Ball.", she applied it to each trendle of Ami's hair and curled it with her wand.  
"There. Now, hurry, change we need to go.", she left the bathroom and shut the door. She went downstairs into the parlor and put on her dress cloak, that was a soft blue over her cream white dress robes. Ami ran down the stairs.  
"Okay, mum I'm ready.", Hermione turned to face her daughter.  
"Ami you look beautiful.", she was wearing a casually snug sundress and jade green robes.  
"Okay mum, let's go now then.", Hermione took her hand and apparated into Hogsmeade.

As I walked through Hogsmeade with my daughter, I couldn't stop the memories. Zonko's and Honeyduke's where I had spent many times laughing with Harry and Ron. The Three Broomsticks where we shared butterbeers after christmas shopping and the Hog's Head where we formed the DA. I almost couldn't choke back my tears when I saw the shreiking shack where the Marauders had begun their mindnight excursions every month. As we left Hogsmeade and entered the Hogwarts grounds I saw so many familiar things. Scenery I knew I had seen before, but until then had been just a bunch of pictures I couldn't place. Then as we came up over a hill the breathtaking view of my childhood home hit me, the grounds, the Qudditch pitch, Hagrid's hut, the lake, . . . the castle.

Ami had followed her mother around for a while. The Great Hall was amazing, but she wanted to exlplore the rest of it. So Ami snuck off while her mother was in a tension filled conversation with a man with flameing red hair. She went into the entrance hall and glanced at the giant hour glasses once more before running up the first flight of stairs. She tried to recall all her mothers stories, but she still managed to get lost. the moving staircases prooved more difficult then she thought. Her destination was on the seventh floor, the mysterious disappearing room from her mother's stories. She asked a portrait for help and was informed that she was on the third floor. That's when a little man came floating around the corridor looking to cause mayhem.  
"Ahh? What's this? A soon to be firstie out exploring. Well, let me show you around"  
Harry Potter climbed out of the one eyed witch statue with a struggle. He didn't remember it being quite so tight when he was using it to sneak off to Hogsmeade. He jumped out and closed the statue with his wand. That's when he heard the singsong voice of Peeves trying to cause trouble. He took off his invisability cloak and rounded the corner.  
"Now, now, Peeves not causing trouble are we? I just saw the Bloody Baron, he said he was looking for you.", Peeves eyes narrowed and he floated off in a hurry without a word.  
"Thank you.", came the voice of a young girl, not older than twelve. Harry saw something familiar in her smile, but he couldn't quite place it.  
"You look lost. Where are you heading"  
"To th seventh floor. Are you here from the reunion?", she asked not at all wary of the man with dirty unshaven hair and ragged clothing she was following.  
"Yes, I went to school here about twenty years ago. What exactly are you looking for on the seventh floor?", He was a few strides ahead of her as they spoke.  
"The room of requirements.", he stopped abruptly.  
"Well now, how did you find out about that place?", Harry asked with anticipation, as far as he knew only members of the DA had known about the room by name.  
"My mum told me about it. Maybe you knew her, she went to school about the same time as you, Hermione Granger.", Harry stood there looking at this girl and an image of an 11 year old Hermione could be conjured from her face. She looked nothing like Ron though, and he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  
"Hermione? I knew her, we were . . . er . . . aquatainces"  
"Really? Then you must have known Harry Potter. Mum doesn't like to talk about him, but I know she went to school with him.", this child seemed she had inherited Hermione's insuferable know it all gene and unfortunately it was conected to her mouth. Harry laughed.  
"Yes, You are right him and your mother were in the same year together and were close friends in fact, I bet Hermione didn't tell you that"  
"No she didn't. I don't see why though"  
"Well, I'll have to let her tell you that herself someday. Here we are.", they stood in front of a blank space of wall. "All you have to do is . . . "  
"I know, I know my mum told me.", Harry smiled.  
"Okay, go ahead then.", she closed her eyes in a look of concentration and a door materialized in front of her.", she opened her eyes and a toothy grin spread across her face. She entered followed by Harry into a room that looked like a private library. Harry grinned, this really was Hermione's daughter. She seemed to forget that Harry was in the room as she stared around in aw. He cleared his throat and she turned to face him.  
"Well child, I must be off, but I've enjoyed our little adventure. You seem quite the explorer, I have something for you. It's of no use to me any longer and I would be saddened to know that it isn't in the hands of a true mischeif maker.", He pulled an old yellowing peice of parchment from the folds of his robes. He handed it to her and she looked at him as if he were crazy. He smiled, "It's a map. I know you don't have one now, but when you get a wand all you have to do is tap it and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' and whenever you're done 'mischeif managed' got it?", she nodded not sure whether he really was crazy, but she smiled.  
"Odd incantation"  
"I'm quite sure Padfoot is behind that one"  
"Padfoot"  
"Old friend of my father's. You should be getting back down to the party, your mother will be worried.", He inclined his head to the parchment,  
"And the Maurader's Map, out little secret okay, Amoret.", he winked and turned to leave.  
"Wait, how did you know my name?", he shook his head with a smile.  
"Well at least tell me yours, that's only fair"  
"You're right it is only fair, but not now, you'll know soon enough. Now go back and see your mother.", he turned and left Ami in the room with hundreds of questions. But she smiled, she kinda liked him.

Hermione mingled amongst the people whose faces she barely remembered, with Ami silently in toe. She waved at a few old calssmates,  
Lavender Brown, Hannah Abbot, Dean Thomas, but made no point to stop and talk.  
"Mum, who are all those people"  
"Old friends"  
"Why don't you stop and catch up with them then, she was never answered though, because a man came up behind her mother.  
"Hermione?", his voice was shaky. Hermione turned around.  
"Neville! Is that you?", he looked different but yet the same. He wasn't quite as heavy set, but still round faced. He wore a nervous smile. "How have you been Neville"  
"Well, I was doing some aquatic life research for the ministry, but now that Hogwarts has reopened I will be teaching Herbology.", he smiled wider.  
"That's wonderful Neville"  
"What about you? Proffesor Lupin told me you had a daughter.", she smiled and turned to introduce Ami to him.  
"Yes, this is my daughter Ami.", Ami smiled wide and extended her hand.  
"Hello.", he smiled nervously as he took her hand.  
"This will be your Herbology Proffesor.", said Hermione.  
"It was nice seeing you again Hermione, I saw Ginny earlier, and Ron as well they were both asking about you"  
"Thank you Neville.", he turned and tripped slightly as he departed. Ami had been looking at the Great Hall while Neville and Hermione were talking. A dance floor had been set up on the far side of the Hall in front of the band that was playing and tables expansed the rest of the Hall. Hermione and Ami sat down at one of the round tables.  
Hermione spotted an unmistakable head of flaming red hair. She left Ami at the table as she walked up to him.  
"Ronald.", he turned around from his conversation with a smile on his face. As soon as he saw Hermione it disappeared.  
"Hermione!", his voice squeked and they stood in uncomfortable silence.  
"Hello Ronald. It's been a while"  
"A while? I haven't seen or heard from you in 17 years"  
"Well you didn't really make an effort to keep in touch did you?", she could see Ron's ears turning red.  
"How was I supposed to? You eloped off to America with Harry,  
Hermione stared at him in disbelief.  
"Harry left both of us. The last time I saw him was the week before I left. Harry couldn't take it here anymore so he left and he never even said goodbye.", Ron's ears turned even redder.  
"Oh, . . . I thought, well you both left at the same time and you broke up with me, . . . and you, . . . I . . . well I heard you got married to some Carter fellow and I figured Harry just changed his name. What was I supposed to think.", Hermione shook her head.  
"Exactly what I told you before I left, that I was starting over.", he stood there and stared not sure what to say. Then a woman with a slight bulge in the mid-driff of her robes linked her arm into Ron's with a smile. She was shorter than Ron, but still taller than Hermione. Her teeth was perfect and her long brown hair reached the small of her back. She smiled warmly at Hermione with her soft round blue eyes.  
"Who is this Ron"  
"Er . . . this is Hermione, I told you about her remeber.", her smile was so big Hermione felt like breaking her face.  
"Oh, Ron dear you are so impolite,", she extended her hand, "I'm Roxanne, Ron's wife.", Hermione took her hand with a curt smile.  
"Pleasure.", they engaged in an uncomfortable smiling contest while Ron stared at them, his ears permantatly red. "Congratulations, by the way. It seems the Weasley family keeps getting bigger and bigger. Fred and Angelina too"  
"Yes, well thank you.", Roxanne answered.  
"Wait. When did you talk to Fred?", Ron asked.  
"About a week ago. Well it's been a pleasure seeing you again, Ronald and meeting your lovely wife, but I must be going.", and she left him muttering to himself about killing his brother. She turned and ran immeadiately into another Weasley.  
"Ginny!", she said with a sigh as though this memory lane was exauhisting her.  
"Hermione, I've been looking for you.", Hermione tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.  
"Hello Ginny"  
"Hermione, do you know if Harry is coming tonight?", Hermione wanted to laugh and rip her hair out at the same time.  
"I don't know Ginny, as far as I'm concerned Harry is dead, so if you can excuse me I have to be in the office early tommorrow and I best be heading home.", Hermione turned on her heel and was met by another former classmate.  
"No, you don't tommorrow's Sunday Hermione, but I would like to talk to you over brunch.", Luna Lovegood stood there in muggle clothes and her dirty blonde hair held up in a knot with her wand.  
"Luna. Wait, brunch? What for?", Ginny still stood behind her and Hermione seemed sufficated.  
"I want to discuss the transfer with you. I've decided to take up the potions master position here and I want you to keep the magazine running,  
Hermione stared at her in shock as Ginny decided it was best she catch up later and left. "I just decided today"  
"What?", Hermione continued to stare at her.  
"You will do it, won't you?", said Luna as though thought that she wouldn't had never even crossed her mind.  
"Well of course, but why me"  
"You're the most qualified journalist for the job, and I trust you better than the rest of the airheads I employ. I'm glad I saw you, meet me at the cafe tommorrow at ten.", and she dissapeared into the crowd leaving Hermione to try and process what had just happened. Hermione thought of Ami as an afterthought and turned back to where she had been sitting, but she was gone. Hermione only worried slightly, Ami had happily inherited the adventerous traits of Damian and herself, the ones she had repressed with books as a child until Harry and Ron had dragged it out of her. Hermione had made Hogwarts sound so appealing to a young adventerour in her stories that she couldn't blame her daughter.  
Despite this though she began walking around looking for her when she reached the staff table where Proffesor McGonagall and Proffesor Lupin stood in conversation. Remus turned and saw her.  
"Hermione?", she turned and faced her former Proffesors.  
"Proffesor Lupin, Proffesor McGonagall have you seen Ami"  
"No, I'm sorry I haven't, well I might have I don't know what she looks like.", answered Remus with a bitter note in his voice.  
"I'm sorry, I'm a bit flustered. I just found out I am the editor of a magazine moments ago and Ami's off and dissapeared. I'm sure she'll be okay. I was surprised to hear you were teaching again.", he looked at her with a small smile.  
"Yes, well Proffesor McGonagall here was kind enough to offer me a job and after the development of the improved Wolfsbane Potion it seems my curse won't such a problem anymore"  
"I was glad to offer you a job Remus you deserve it and it's nice to see you again Hermione.", Her former Transfiguration teacher smiled at her. She looked tired and it seemed that youth was leaving her. Remus on the other hand seemed younger than he ever had been, although the curse had always made him look beyond his years.  
"Yes, This reunion is a little tireing. Half these people I'd never thought I'd see again and the other half I'd hoped I'd never see again.", she smiled weakily.  
"Well, it has been exauhsting, but I believed it necessary. I'm sorry to leave you so quickly but I must be going I have something to attend to,  
she nodded her head and departed. Hermione turned back to Remus.  
"It seems I've seen everbody from my past, and now there's only one person missing.", she said this as if she had secretly thought he would be here.  
"Yes, I know what you mean. I half expect James and Sirius to walk through those doors any moment.", Hermione almost wanted to cry, but she repressed the tears.  
"What are you going to be teaching?", she asked trying to change the subject and realizing she didn't know.  
"Transfiguration. It seemed for a while that I would have to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts as well, but I got a letter from someone a few days ago saying they wished to fill the position and they would talk to me tonight about it. No one has showed up so far so I might have to,  
Hermione smiled.  
"Everyone still thinks the job is cursed then?", he laughed.  
"Well, it would appear that way.", he looked past and addressed the person standing behind her. "You must be Amoret.", Ami wrinkled her nose in a frown and shook his hand.  
"Ami, my name is Ami.", He smiled and Hermione turned to scold her daughter when her attention was distracted by the dramatic entrance that silenced the whole crowd.

I hope by now you realize that my life wasn't the only one that changed dramatically. Although all our lives had changed it seemed the place where we met was drawing us back to it and suddenly the things that changed didn't matter so much. Whether it be our children were now learning there or we were now teaching there Hogwarts was drawing us back into it like a black hole. It was no longer the place of our schooling a place of memory, but now was altering our lives and decisions the way it had those years ago when it had been our home. It only needed one person to make it complete , to tie everything together, to break the curse that had hovered over it since the day Tom Riddle was denied the Defense Against the Dark Arts position so many years ago. And wouldn't you know it that person was the one that I wished to never see again yet at the same time was yearning to see so I could close this neverending chapter in my life.

Harry Potter entered the Great Hall pushing the giant doors to his side as he waited for the hush of the crowd and the whispering to begin. He stared out into the crowd and smiled. He made his way through the crowd and they parted as if he were roalty. He made a path to the staff table where he saw Hermione staring at him next to Remus Lupin. Her face took his breath away and he could barely breath.  
Hermione watched him walk up to her in slow motion as though it were a dream. That was it, her mind was playing tricks on her. She could feel Remus grab her shoulder for stability, which ment he too was seeing what she saw. He reached the place where she stood and froze. She couldn't hear the whispers of the crowd or her daughter's gasp. All she saw was this man standing in front of her. And then he did something unforgivable, he leaned down pulled her face into his and kissed her gently. It only lasted a fraction of a second, but it made her realise she wasn't dreaming. He pulled away and looked at her smiling like a giddy schoolboy. She looked into his eyes and what she saw made fury rise up inside of her, the flicker was there like it had never dissappeared to begin with.  
"It's been a long time Hermione, the least you could do is wish me a happy birthday.", she looked at him as if he was crazy and then she took her hand and slapped him as hard as she could. He grabbed the side of his face that was now red and started laughing. "I should have seen that one comeing, I'd forgotten how hard you can hit. Well I can't say I don't deserve it.", Hermione looked outraged. She couldn't believe he was just going to take it.  
"Harry James Potter you deserve a whole bloody hell of a lot more then that"  
"I'm sorry Hermione what do you want me to do about it?", this made Hermione even more furious.  
"Nothing, but I don't want you to apologize for something you're not sorry for. I thought you were dead. You never wrote, you never sent word. You didn't even say goodbye"  
"Yes I did"  
"That was not a goodbye, that was the worst thing you ever did to me. You knew the whole time and didn't say a word just up and left. Now you've come back what have you been doing for 17 years that you couldn't bother to let someone know you hadn't been murdered in your sleep.", Hermione looked as if she were about to blow up and Ami stood behind her in confusion.  
"Wait. I thought . . . ", Ami tried to sort this out in her head. Harry smiled at her and shook his head no, while Hermione continued to yell. The whole hall was silent as Hermione continued to vent her two decades of frustration. She stopped suddenly and took a deep breath. Harry smiled at her.  
"Done?", she looked at him and sighed.  
"No.", she slapped him on the other side of his face, "Now I'm done,  
she was so frustrated yet when she looked at his eyes again she wanted so badly to have the man back she'd lost more than 20 years ago that her stomach twisted into a knot.  
"Okay if you're done then let me explain. I've been chasing down the Death Eaters and finding myself. I needed to do that away from everyone else including you, Hermione. I came back when I heard the school was reopening and I found you staying in my house, so I decided to take up the Defense Against the Dark Arts position"  
"So you just went off and expected everything to go on hold for you and be exactly the same when you got back?", Remus stood next to her beating himself up inside for not recognizing the handwriting of his former student.  
"No, I knew things would be different, but I hoped they could better and that we could be friends again Hermione"  
"Well I'm sorry Harry, but it just doesn't work that way. It's going to take a little longer than that, maybe someday.",she turned and grabbed her daughter's hand and left.

This article minus the scene in the room of requirements was published in Quibbler Magazine five years later. She made it perfectly clear to the world that her story wasn't over yet. My mother did forgive Harry eventually and I tried to understand why she couldn't forgive him until I found this in her things when we she died. Harry and I kept in contact after the 7 years he taught me and after her death as well. He understood me so well and he was the only one I ever let call me Amoret. When I read this I added the room of reqiurements scene and ran an updated version in the Quibbler which is now my magazine so that her story would never be forgotten. It served as her personal memoirs and I made sure no one ever thought my mother's story ended when she died. I now tell the stories of her adventures at Hogwarts and mine to my children who will tell them to thiers and the true story of the Heroic Harry Potter will live on as long as there are those who live to remember them the way it was so that no one will ever forget what happened after.

Sincerely

Amoret Jane Carter Editor of Quibbler Magazine 


End file.
